aged
by quickrnemories
Summary: "They'd watched each other blossom from small children into mature adults. They'd aged together. Maybe that's why they were so perfect."
1. Chapter 1

**a/ n: I do not own Les Mis, nor any of the characters, seriously all I own is the laptop I'm writing this on.**

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 **prologue: all their life**

they'd been best friends all their lives. They'd met at preschool when Èponine had hit Enjolras over the head with a toy train after he'd insulted her headband. They'd had sat down and apologise and had been joined at the hip ever since.

Neither of them could pinpoint the exact moment that they fell for one another. Sometimes they thought that it was as that moment, whilst they were apologising, that feelings had shifted into a childhood crush. Or it could've been when they shared their first kiss as teenagers, or as they first shared the most intimate aspect of life together.

Others viewed them as soulmates, coming together at the time when they both needed each other the most. Some viewed them as a complete convenience and others just truly didn't understand how their relationship had come about. One thing was certain to everyone; they were perfect for one another.

They'd seen each other blossom from small children to mature adults. They'd aged together.

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 **a/n: this is the start of a multichapter fic! This prologue is immensely short, but the rest of this will be good (at least I hope it is). I'm planning to do about 10 chapters, plus this prologue and an epilogue. Hopefully, I actually complete it. I'm going to try and update once a week! Please like and review!**

 **xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**I own nothing, seriously it's all Hugo's.**

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 **part one: chapter one: Èponine, aged 20**

She lay back on her bed, surrounded by letters, photos and her memories.

She stared at the photo in her hand and then at her whitewash walls, smiling to herself. Stuck up with blue tack, stretching from her bed to her bookshelf, were Polaroid pictures. Snapshots oh her life from around the age of five the present day.

Most of the pictures featured him. Of course they would, they'd been friends since they were three years old. Nowadays they lived together and they'd attended the same schools all their lives. Obviously he'd be in almost all of the photos.

His golden curls and sweet smile stared back at her. There were pictures of them and Marius at the beach, graduation, school dances. Cosette featured prominently as well as, aside from Enjolras and Marius, she was Èponine's best friend.

Cosette and Marius had begun dating in the summer of ninth grade, both aged fifteen. Suddenly Èponine and Enjolras had both been the third wheel, having to hang around the couple. Forced to be lab partners, sports partners and go with each other to school dances they became closer, forming an even stronger connection than they had beforehand.

She wasn't sure when the feelings had started, all she knew was that she had to squash them as soon as possible. He was focussed on his job. She even had a boyfriend. She knew that Montparnasse was only a substitute for Enjolras. Even Montparnasse knew that. He was abusive towards her. He'd hit her and shout all sorts of insults at her. She should leave, break up with him but she no longer had the energy. Considering the years shed lived with her parents and how they had treated her, in some sick way she was used to this abuse.

She knew Enjolras would never return her feelings. He was from a rich family. He'd graduated school at the top of his class and started working towards being a teacher. He'd probably meet a nice, intelligent girl, most likely a teacher as well, and they'd fall in love, get married and have children. She knew that. He couldn't ever fall in love with her. Though she had graduated school with good grades and had even managed to get a two year scholarship to the same college as her three best friends, all good things come to an end. Her scholarship and ended and everything and gone downhill. She'd started working at the Musain as a waitress. Soon after she and Enjolras had moved in together, as an attempt to escape her parents. Shad met Montparnasse shortly after. She was probably destined to never escape this life.

A knock on her door pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Come in " she called.

Enjolras entered the room, his curls cascading down his face dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"We're out of milk, I'm just going down the road to get some. Do you want anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm okay thank you" she replied.

"What are you doing?" he asked, moving from where he stood in the doorway to sit on the edge of her bed.

"I'm just going through my old memory boxes, looking for any new polaroids to stick up on my wall."

He lifted up the photo that she had been looking at. It showed the two of them at Cosette's sixteenth birthday. His arms were wrapped around her waist and they were both laughing.

"This one's cute," he said, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Hmm," she mumbled.

He got off her bed and walked back out through the door.

"I'll be back in ten minutes 'Ponine" he called as the front door slammed back behind him.

"Bye," she muttered.

She opened up her crafts box and began searching through the box. She pulled out a packet of blue tack and pulled a piece off. She stuck two lumps to the edged of the photo and stuck it above her bed.

She was in love with him, and she knew it. He wouldn't love her and that was okay. She had grown to accept it. Maybe she could grow a relationship with Montparnasse, he only really grew abusive after he'd had a few drinks. She could learn to just avoid him when he got drunk. He did love her. He'd told her so. It was no use pining over Enjolras. He deserved so much better than her.

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 **a/n; that was chapter one. It's kind of like a second prologue but it sets the scene for the next chapters. This story is divided into two parts: part one èponine and part two enjolras. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'm sorry if there are any mistakes, I have proofread this many times so hopefully, there aren't many. Please review and follow!**

 **xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n: still own nothing, it belongs to Hugo**

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 **chapter 2: Èponine, aged 9**

She was used to the jeers and teases of the other children.

 _That Thènardier is trouble_

 _Èponine Thènardier? Oh, I was told to stay away from her._

The teachers were the same, blaming her for any small thing that happened.

Marius Pontmercy and Gabriel Enjolras were her only friends really. The three of them had stuck together since preschool. They didn't care that she lived way on the other side of town. They didn't care that her parents and younger sister were in and out of court. They didn't care that social services were in and out of her life. They liked her for her. Gabriel was willing to let her stay at his home anytime and Marius was frequently bringing her food when he knew it was sparse in her home. They couldn't stop the teasing, she was just glad they were there.

One afternoon in March, her parents were arrested once again. Something to do with credit card fraud. She knew that they'd get off with no charges, they had enough dodgy contacts willing to help them.

When she arrived at school her classmates heads turned and the whispers and snickers started.

"Hey, Thènardier, I heard your parents got nicked again? Maybe they'll actually be sent down this time" one girl mocked.

"How many times is that now? Eight? Where you going to stay this time Èponine, I'm sure Gabriel's family won't take you in again, especially if they get convicted. I bet they'll send the social round and you'll get put into care" another said.

"They've already taken her younger brother Gavroche. He used to be in the same class as my little sister."

"So come on Èponine, give us the details. Do you help with their crimes, criminals tend to get their children to help them out."

All the girls were screaming at her, cackling like witches at her predicament. The truth was, they were probably right. She didn't have anywhere to go. The Enjolras family had been kind enough to take her in the past few times, but she couldn't keep expecting them to look after her. The social would be coming, she was sure of it. They'd taken Gavroche in the spring of the previous year. He was now living forty miles away, with a foster family. She only got to see him every few months. He was only five.

She could feel the tears pricking in her eyes and she sniffed, trying her best to keep them in.

"Leave her alone" came a shout from behind her.

She turned around and saw Gabriel Enjolras approaching, his eyes glistening with anger.

"Are you okay" he whispered, placing his hand on her arm encouragingly. She nodded slightly, smiling at him. He turned and began to address his giggling classmates.

"For your information, yes Èponine will be coming to stay with my family until this is over. If social services come knocking we'll just tell them so. Her family has nothing to do with anyone but her. Does she ask about your families personal lives? No, she doesn't. So who cares who her parents are or what they've done. You should all be comforting the girl you've spent most days for the past six years with, not jeering and laughing about it"

Gabriel's face was flushed pink by the time he'd finished his speech. The girls who had previously been laughing were now silent, their mouths gaping open in shock. Gabriel turned his head and looked down at Èponine smiling lightly.

"Come on, let's go find Marius," he said, grabbing her elbow and gently leading her away from the girls.

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 **a/n: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next part will be coming within the next few weeks.**

 **you can find me on tumblr and archive of our own enjoninee**

 **xxx**


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